Catasauqua Area School District parents and students can rest easy as students in the future will not be required to wear school uniforms.

The Catasauqua School Board decided implementing a districtwide uniform policy didn't have enough support on the board or within the community to pursue further at its Feb. 3 meeting.

"We can talk and talk and talk. There's not definitive support for this [uniform policy]," board Vice President Carol Cunningham said.

Board President Penny Hahn has been a strong supporter of school uniforms since the board first began discussing the issue more than a year ago.

During the meeting, Hahn called for a committee to further look into putting into effect a uniform policy.

Hahn's concern has been the manner in which students continue to dress and the inconsistent way in which the current dress code policy is enforced.

"I feel the uniform policy will decrease the amount of work teachers have to do," Hahn said.

Board member Carol McCarthy, a staunch opponent of a uniform policy, said the current policy is working fine.

Hahn argued a uniform policy will decrease the potential for bullying.

"Even if you have one kid who is not bullied, doesn't that make you feel good?" she asked. "If you stop bullying, that's a benefit of the dress code."

Dawn Berrigan, board member, said the uniform policy won't stop bullying as kids who are prone to bullying will continue to taunt other students. She also argued parents won't save money if a uniform policy is put into effect.

"I feel they are more pricey," she said. "I really don't think burdening residents in the district and principals with another thing to deal with is the way to go."

Board member Christine Naegel asked Catasauqua High School Principal David Ascani how many infractions to date the school has had. Ascani said the numbers of infractions have varied. Due to the busy nature of the school day, it's not always easy catching dress code offenders, he said.

"It's never going to be flawless," he said of the current policy. "That's just how it's going to be. We do the best to enforce it."

Ascani said he would be willing to bring a breakdown of infractions to date to the next school board meeting. Naegel also recommended a survey be distributed to students, asking them how effective they believe the current dress code policy is.

"There's a lot of approaches to this," McCarthy said. "I don't think we should go directly to a dress code."

Board member Don Panto, in support of a uniform policy, said the board should have acted sooner on implementing a policy.

"I think we missed an opportunity to tap into something special, but if we don't have consensus moving forward, we let it die," Panto said.

Expressing their support during the meeting for a dress code were Cunningham, Hahn and Panto.